A thread-cleaning tool comprises a partially hollow nut for use with a pneumatic, hydraulic, or electrical nut-running power tool. The nut comprises a plurality of brushes mounted in alignment with the outside corners of the nut, and facing inward to the central orifice of the nut, such that the nut abrasively removes corrosion and particulates from the threads of a shaft. In an embodiment, the brushes of the nut are mounted upon brush assemblies comprising rotating cam members, located in recesses spaced to align with the outer corners of the nut, providing a mechanism for the brushes to move back and forth as the nut is rotated up and down the thread. The brush assemblies can be easily removed or substituted as wear and tear accumulates.
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14. A tool for cleaning a threaded member, the tool comprising:
a body having an orifice, a top surface, a bottom surface, an inner surface, and a plurality of outer surfaces, wherein each of the plurality of outer surfaces are offset with another of the plurality of outer surfaces for forming a respective plurality of corners, wherein the inner surface of the body comprises a plurality of threads and a plurality of recesses, and wherein the plurality of recesses align with and extend towards the plurality of corners; and
a plurality of brush assemblies comprising a brush and a cam, wherein each of the plurality of brush assemblies is positioned within the plurality of recesses at a corresponding one of the plurality of corners, and wherein the brush assemblies extend inwards past the inner surface and into the orifice to engage the threads of the threaded member,
wherein the plurality of recesses comprise a width greater than the width of the plurality of brush assemblies.
1. A tool for cleaning a threaded member, the tool comprising:
a body having an orifice, a top surface, a bottom surface, an inner surface, and a plurality of outer surfaces, wherein each of the plurality of outer surfaces are offset with another of the plurality of outer surfaces for forming a respective plurality of corners, wherein at least one surface of the top surface or the bottom surface comprises a plurality of secondary orifices, each respective secondary orifice located at a respective corner, the at least one surface being attached to the body by a plurality of screws through the respective plurality of secondary orifices, and wherein the inner surface of the body comprises a plurality of threads;
a plurality of brush assemblies, wherein each respective brush assembly is positioned at a respective corner of the plurality of corners, and wherein the brush assemblies extend inwards past the inner surface and into the orifice to engage the threads of the threaded member.
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Embodiments usable within the scope of the present disclosure relate, generally, to apparatuses, and methods usable to apply abrasive friction to threaded members, such as flanges, studs, or bolts, for purposes of easily removing corrosion and dirt.
In the detailed description of various embodiments usable within the scope of the present disclosure, presented below, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
One or more embodiments are described below with reference to the listed Figures.
Before describing selected embodiments of the present disclosure in detail, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein. The disclosure and description herein is illustrative and explanatory of one or more presently preferred embodiments and variations thereof, and it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes in the design, organization, order of operation, means of operation, equipment structures and location, methodology, and use of mechanical equivalents may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.
As well, it should be understood the drawings are intended to illustrate and plainly disclose presently preferred embodiments to one of skill in the art, but are not intended to be manufacturing level drawings or renditions of final products and may include simplified conceptual views as desired for easier and quicker understanding or explanation. As well, the relative size and arrangement of the components may differ from that shown and still operate within the spirit of the invention.
Moreover, it will be understood that various directions such as “upper,” “lower,” “bottom,” “top,” “left,” “right,” and so forth are made only with respect to explanation in conjunction with the drawings, and that the components may be oriented differently, for instance, during transportation and manufacturing as well as operation. Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the concept(s) herein taught, and because many modifications may be made in the embodiments described herein, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and non-limiting.
Embodiments usable within the scope of the present disclosure include an apparatus capable of abrasively cleaning and removing corrosion and dirt from a threaded member in the field, including, but not limited to, flanges, studs, and bolts. Conventionally, such cleaning is accomplished either by manual use of abrasive brushes, or with specialized power tools designed to abrade the threaded member. Examples of such conventional power tools include U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,244 to Muraguchi, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,369 to Falvo. While these inventions may often utilize the same power base (e.g., electric, pneumatic) as other power tools, their design generally requires at least the attachment of a swappable brush head. Additionally, positioning the tool over and around the threaded member may not be feasible, either due to the length, or due to the member being in an inconvenient position for access.
A need therefore exists for an apparatus or method that can clean the threaded member and can be used with conventional fastening tools without requiring a separate device, or the use of unconventional angles which may be unavailable. Embodiments described in the present disclosure meet these needs. Specifically, the embodiment described herein is a specialized nut comprising a plurality of bristles positioned on the edge of the nut and pointing inwardly towards the orifice of the nut. As the nut is threaded, the bristles push into the threads of the member and drag. These bristles are generally constructed of brass or stainless steel and are of sufficient stiffness to abrasively clean a threaded member as they are used. While the invention described herein can be used in conjunction with manual turning of the nut (i.e., a wrench), preferred embodiments are utilized in conjunction with a nut-running power tool, as described, e.g., in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/507,102.
An advantage of the present invention is that it allows any flange, stud, or bolt to be cleaned without the need for any more tools or clearance than would be required to receive a conventional threaded nut. Additionally, embodiments of the present invention obviate the need for a specialized cleaning tool, as any device (or manual force) capable of threading nuts can be utilized in conjunction with the present invention.
Embodiments described herein can include any number of brushes positioned on either the top or bottom surface of the nut (depending on the orientation of the inner threads), or within gaps in the inner surface of the nut orifice. These brushes may be either affixed to the nut directly or mounted to, for example, small cams positioned along the edge of the nut in sized gaps within the primary orifice of the nut. Leaf or coil springs further bias the brushes and prevent the brushes from rapidly losing their stiffness.
Referring now to
Nut 10 also comprises two surfaces, 14a and 14b, which close off the top and bottom surfaces of the nut, respectively. Each surface 14a, 14b is fixed to the body of the nut 10 via a plurality of countersink fasteners 15a-15f, 16a-16f (only 15a-f visible in the depicted embodiment, in conjunction with the top surface 14a; 16a-f occupy corresponding locations on the bottom side.)
Also, in the depicted embodiment, the central orifice 11 comprises an inner edge 17, with threads 18 that can be of varying thickness and size to interact with threaded studs and shafts. Threads 18 of inner edge 17 are interrupted by two brush assemblies, 20a and 20b (20b only partially visible), which occupy the space near two of the corners 13c, 13d of nut 10. As with the number of sides in the nut body itself, while the depicted embodiment shows two brush assemblies 20a, 20b in conjunction with a six-sided nut, it can be appreciated that any number of brush assemblies could be used, ranging from a single brush assembly up to a 1:1 ratio of brush assemblies to corners (depending on the configuration of the body of nut 10).
Referring now to
Brush bristles 21 can be mounted on cam 22, and may be composed of any material with sufficient stiffness to abrade and remove corrosion from the threads of a corresponding threaded member 24 (shown in
In
Similarly, biasing member 23 may be a spring, for example a leaf-spring or a coil-spring, or any configuration sufficient to bias cam 22 outward to counteract the tendency of brush bristles 21 to turn inward in the threading/unthreading direction of inner edge 17.
Referring now to
Thus, the countersink fasteners 15, 16 and surfaces 14a, 14b act to fix the brush assembly 20 within the recess 25 of the inner edge 17 of the nut 10, and also permit the brush assembly 20 to be easily removed, cleaned, flipped vertically, or replaced as required by the normal wear and tear of the tool.
Although the embodiment shown in
Additionally, while the depicted embodiment positions countersink fasteners 15a-f, and 16a-f at the corners 13a-f of the nut 10, it can be appreciated that other embodiments may locate the fasteners elsewhere on the nut, including along the sides 12a-12f of the nut.
While various embodiments usable within the scope of the present disclosure have been described with emphasis, it should be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention can be practiced other than as specifically described herein.
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